Most otoscopes incorporate specula which are conical in shape and have round openings. The authors strongly recommend polypropylene reusable specula which are well shaped and practical to use. Specula with parallel sides are generally to be avoided, because they unnecessarily limit the field of view. With an appropriately sized hand‑held speculum, the tympanic membrane can be clearly seen. Whenever magnification is used, the field of view is diminished and the examiner must learn to move the otoscope systematically around to observe all of the tympanic membrane and develop a composite view.